Pollen-inspired fertilizer particles help nutrients stay on rice leaves

Scientists have developed a foliar fertilizer approach that uses spiny, pollen-like silica particles to improve nutrient retention on rice leaves.

The formulation combines silica with ammonium chloride and a surfactant. In the reported experiments, the particles retained 71.33 percent of their nitrogen after two simulated rainfall events.

Field tests combining the leaf treatment with soil fertilization reported a 17.5 percent yield increase while reducing nitrogen input by 10 percent. Those results describe the tested conditions, rather than a guaranteed response across all farms. The work targets a practical limitation of foliar feeding: nutrients can be washed away before plants make effective use of them.